Jul 29, 2014

I was rebuilding my work's Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server the other day, and while configuring it I thought about how nice it would be to automate the cleanup process. You know, decline superseded updates, decline obsolete updates etc.

Normally one would have to do this manually by running the Server Cleanup Wizard, but who has time for that?

Well SpiceWorks community member Wouter-Trust created an awesome PowerShell script that works like a charm! You can find his post here and you can download his script here.

I have my script running once a week to free up disk space, and generally optimize our patch deployment process!

Do you have a script that does this? Or perhaps another tool? What do you use to keep WSUS clean on your network? Let us know in the comments!

Jul 21, 2014

When the first caveman clicked stones together to create fire, he changed the world. When the second one came out and told the first that there is an app for that, he changed humankind. As a culture, we evolve in steps—moving rapidly then plateauing before moving again. Technologically, we are in a fast developing stage. Mobile technology, especially app development, is redefining how our culture communicates, does business and has fun.

Business And Coffee

The days of the brick-and-mortar business are numbered. With the accessibility of Wi-Fi and the power of tablets, we no longer need office space and showrooms to effectively run a business. Using Google Drive, we can remotely save and share documents for real time collaboration. The Intuit Quickbooks application lets us do all of our accounting online, and LocalVox aggregates all of our social media marketing. With the PayPal app, we can take money through credit card transactions or via a PayPal account. What used to take a team of people to do, we can do with a mobile computer while drinking our morning java. With this new found flexibility, commerce will never be the same.

Just Saying Hi

Mobile technology has made the world very small, which has changed the way we communicate. Communication in this context is greater than a simple chat on the phone or online. Mobile technology has altered the very nature of information sharing. Systems like Google Hangouts and Skype allow us to stay in touch with loved ones while also enabling us to migrate and explore. Children can go away to college, and friends can take a job halfway around the world without losing touch. This technology is even allowing people to make a difference in conflict torn areas of the world by letting us share knowledge, resources and support.

Fun and Games

App downloads are expected to hit 100 billion in 2014, with over 90 percent of those being free apps. Most of these downloads will be for fun and entertainment. The gaming app developer Zynga booked $161 million in a three-month period this year. This is pretty good for a company that makes free games. Instead of charging upfront, Zynga and other game makers generate revenue by selling in-game items like extra turns, super powered items or cyber decorations. Not only have entertainment apps changed the way we play, but they have also redefined the holy grail of do-it-yourself wealth.

Really Important Stuff

Mobile tablet applications are allowing deaf people to communicate with the hearing community with apps such as Dragon Dictation, which transcribes a spoken conversation for the hard of hearing person to read. It’s giving communication ability to the autistic with apps like AAC Speech Buddy, which allows you to create custom speech sets. It’s making it possible for people with high risk medical conditions to monitor their health and live longer, healthier lives. Some examples pending approval by the FDA include apps that help patients with PTSD, depression and anxiety as well as GPS-based information about environmental conditions for people with asthma, games to motivate physical therapy patients and educational tips for pregnant women.

Studies show that most new consumer ideas can be created with existing technology, so our next step in technological evolution is only limited to our imaginations.

Jul 10, 2014

At my company we are going through a process to figure out what CRM system we want, and we also want to upgrade our Microsoft Dynamics GP instance. We've already paid for Microsoft Dynamics GP, so that's a done deal and we are going to go with an overpriced CRM solution. It's out of my hands. Still though, I wanted to see if there were any open source alternatives to Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft Dynamics CRM that a start up company could use that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Dolibarr ERP & CRM is a modern and easy to use web software to manage your business (contacts, invoices, orders, products, stocks, agenda, emailings, etc...).

It's an opensource and free software designed for small companies, foundations and freelances. You can install and use it as a standalone application, or online on a mutualized or dedicated server to use it from anywhere. Dolibarr is also available on ready to use Cloud services.